For the first time since the beginning of air strikes on Yugoslavia,
a Western politician, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, has said officially
that a ground operation in Yugoslavia is possible. Would you comment?
Derek FRASER, Ambassador
of Canada in Ukraine:
"I think I will comment like this: NATO is a very transparent organization,
and if this decision (to start a ground operation in Kosovo or Yugoslavia)
is made, it will be immediately made public.
"You know that the NATO summit in Washington discussed all possible
decisions. All NATO efforts have now been concentrated on making Belgrade
accept NATO's well-known five principles spelled out by Secretary General
Xavier Solana and conforming to the UN Security Council resolution passed
on Monday, which deal, above all, with the return of refugees to Kosovo
and ensuring security. NATO is trying to create conditions for moving in
international peacekeeping forces to Kosovo.
"But I would not like to comment now on hypothetical opportunities.
No decision on a ground military operation has yet been made."
Gian Luca BERTINETTO,
Ambassador of Italy in Ukraine:
"First of all, we regret very much that almost nobody in Ukraine believes
that NATO actions are aimed, above all, at protecting the Kosovo population
suffering from ethnic cleansing. So the bombings are a reaction to ethnic
cleansing, a way to stop them. The bombings will stop if Yugoslavia pulls
out its forces and allows about a million refugees to come back under international
surveillance. It would be nice if everything in Kosovo went the way it
does in an American film. We see there a positive hero, a cowboy, and a
villain, a knife-wielding bandit who attempts to murder a good girl. Not
a drop of blood is shed in such films. In reality, everything is different.
This is a very strange war, also because the NATO countries try to wage
it without losses on their side. Nor do they want to kill the Yugoslavs,
but this happens, and they have to apologize. We said at the very beginning
we do not want a ground intervention. We hope the aim will be achieved
through mediation efforts. What shall we do otherwise? Continue to bomb?
Launch a ground intervention? The Italian government hopes this will not
happen. It hopes the Yugoslav government will start to behave like the
government of a civilized European state.
"A sizable majority of Italians support the NATO actions. Of course,
nobody likes the bombings, the losses they have incurred, and accidental
casualties. There is also a minority in Italy, which opposes the war in
general, but, at the same time, almost all Italians are against Milosevic."
Joran JACOBSSON,
Ambassador of Sweden in Ukraine:
"Our government has not yet expressed its opinion about sending ground
forces to Kosovo. But Sweden is ready to take part in peacekeeping forces.
In general, the Kosovo issue worries the Swedish public very much. We regard
the actions of NATO with understanding. For they were caused by the plight
of one and a half million Kosovo refugees."
Dimitris
KONTOUMAS, Ambassador of Greece in Ukraine:
"Of course, Greece, as a Balkan country, is very worried about the state
of affairs in Yugoslavia. And we do not want bloodshed in that country
to continue, we do not want more and more victims. We are against a ground
intervention. I am certain Greece is not alone in this position. Also opposed
to ground intervention is German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, while the
Italian parliament has asked NATO to suspend air strikes for 48 hours in
order to seek a diplomatic solution. Greece as well as Ukraine wishes to
take part in peacekeeping operations in Kosovo."
Antero
INKARI, counselor at the Embassy of Finland in Ukraine:
"I cannot as yet express the official position of Helsinki on
ground intervention in Kosovo. Finland is, naturally, interested in the
restoration of peace in this region. This requires a comprehensive plan
of long-term peace settlement in the whole southeast region of Europe.
The European Union should make a major contribution here. In particular,
Finland, a nonmember of NATO but a EU member, should play an important
role in peace settlement. The more so that Helsinki assumes the chairmanship
of the EU on July 1.
"Finland's position was expressed in general in the government statement,
which states 'The key to stopping violence is in the hands of the Belgrade
leaders and their acceptance of the principles proposed by the international
community'."
By Natalia VIKULINA, Viktor ZAMYATIN, The Day











